U.S. patent number 8,162,390 [Application Number 12/727,222] was granted by the patent office on 2012-04-24 for child chair.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Wonderland Nurserygoods Company Limited. Invention is credited to Zhi-Ren Zhong.
United States Patent |
8,162,390 |
Zhong |
April 24, 2012 |
Child chair
Abstract
When a supporting frame is assembled to a seat, the child chair
is used as a high chair. When the supporting frame is detached from
the seat, the child chair may be served as a booster. The seat
includes storages with straps connected. Each storage is covered
with a cover selectively configured between a closed position and
an opened position. When the supporting frame is detached from the
seat, the covers may be moved to the opened position, covering
coupling sections of the seat so that the supporting frame is not
permitted to assemble to the seat; the straps are reachable outward
the storages to secure the seat to an adult chair. When the straps
are stored in the storages, the covers may be moved to the closed
position, covering the storages and the coupling sections are
exposed. The supporting frame is then permitted to assemble to the
seat.
Inventors: |
Zhong; Zhi-Ren (Central,
HK) |
Assignee: |
Wonderland Nurserygoods Company
Limited (Central, HK)
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Family
ID: |
43447183 |
Appl.
No.: |
12/727,222 |
Filed: |
March 18, 2010 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20110074186 A1 |
Mar 31, 2011 |
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Foreign Application Priority Data
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Sep 30, 2009 [CN] |
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2009 1 0179582 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
297/130 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47D
1/103 (20130101); A47D 1/006 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47C
13/00 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;297/130,188.11,188.13,188.08,440.22,440.1,440.24,250.1,256.16
;248/408 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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201055168 |
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May 2008 |
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CN |
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201227066 |
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Apr 2009 |
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CN |
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2 008 550 |
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Dec 2008 |
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EP |
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2 135 528 |
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Dec 2009 |
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EP |
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2 919 164 |
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Jan 2009 |
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FR |
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464805 |
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Apr 1937 |
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GB |
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Primary Examiner: Nelson, Jr.; Milton
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Hsu; Winston Margo; Scott
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A child chair comprising: a seat comprising a coupling section
having a plurality of openings, and comprising an operating
component configured near one of the openings; a supporting frame
for detachably coupling with the seat, the supporting frame
comprising a fastening component for coupling with the coupling
section so as to secure the supporting frame at the seat, the
operating component utilized for operating the fastening component
to disengage the supporting frame from the coupling section; and a
strap connecting to the seat; wherein the child chair is
convertible between a high chair status in which the supporting
frame is coupled to the seat and a booster status in which the
supporting frame is detached from the seat and the strap secures
the seat to an adult chair.
2. The child chair of claim 1, wherein the coupling section is
located at the bottom of the seat for detachably coupling with the
supporting frame.
3. The child chair of claim 1, wherein the fastening component is a
V-shape resilient piece.
4. The child chair of claim 1, wherein the supporting frame
comprises a lump and the seat comprises a groove cooperating with
the lump such that the supporting frame couples with the seat in a
tilting angle relative to the seat.
5. The child chair of claim 1, wherein the supporting frame
comprises a bending section such that the supporting frame couples
with the coupling section in a tilting angle relative to the
seat.
6. The child chair of claim 1, wherein the seat further comprises a
storage and the strap connects to the storage.
7. The child chair of claim 6, wherein the seat comprises a cover
moveable relative to the storage between a closed position where
the strap is stored within the storage; and an opened position
where the cover covers the coupling section and the strap is
reachable outward from the storage.
8. The child chair of claim 1, wherein the supporting frame
comprises a plurality of legs, each for coupling with a
corresponding opening coupling section.
9. The child chair of claim 8 further comprising a footrest,
wherein the plurality of legs comprises two front legs and two rear
legs and the footrest is mounted on the two front legs.
10. The child chair of claim 9, wherein the footrest comprises a
mounting section for coupling with the two rear legs when the
supporting frame is detached from the seat.
11. The child chair of claim 8, wherein the plurality of legs are
pipes, the fastening component located in one of the legs for
coupling with the coupling section so as to secure the leg at the
seat.
12. The child chair of claim 11, wherein each leg comprises a first
hole at its wall and the coupling section comprises a second hole
at the wall defining one of the openings, and the fastening
component comprises a protrusion for extending through the first
hole and the second hole to couple the supporting frame with the
corresponding opening of the coupling section.
13. A child chair, comprising: a seat comprising a coupling section
having a plurality of openings; a strap connecting to the seat; and
a supporting frame comprising a plurality of legs, each of the
openings coupling with a corresponding leg, where each of the legs
is coupled with the seat in a tilting angle relative to the seat;
wherein the child chair is convertible between a high chair status
in which the supporting frame is coupled to the seat, and a booster
status in which the supporting frame is detached from the seat and
the strap secures the seat to an adult chair.
14. A booster, capable of assembling to a plurality of legs to form
a high chair, the booster comprising: a seat comprising a plurality
of coupling sections and a plurality of storage sections, the
coupling sections capable of detachably coupling with the plurality
of legs; a strap connecting to one of the storage sections and
stored within the storage section; and a plurality of covers
moveably configured at the bottom of the seat, each cover
operatively configured over a coupling section or a storage section
for each selectively covering the coupling section or the storage
section.
15. The booster of claim 14, further comprising an operating
component configured near one of the coupling sections and being
operated to disengage one of the plurality of legs from the
coupling section.
16. The booster of claim 14, wherein the seat comprises a body and
a base fixing to the bottom of the body, the plurality of covers
moveably configured at the base.
17. The booster of claim 14, wherein each coupling section
comprises an opening for coupling with one of the plurality of legs
respectively.
18. The booster of claim 17, wherein a groove is formed on each
opening of the coupling section for cooperating with a lump of a
supporting frame.
19. A child chair comprising: a seat comprising a coupling section,
a storage configured near the coupling section, and a movable
cover; a supporting frame for detachably coupling with the coupling
section; and a strap connected to the storage; wherein the cover is
moveable between a first position and a second position; when the
cover moves to the first position, the cover covers the storage and
the coupling section is uncovered for coupling with the supporting
frame and the child chair is configured at a high chair status;
when the cover moves to the second position, the cover covers the
coupling section and the storage is uncovered and the strap is
reachable outward the storage, and the child chair is configured at
a booster status.
20. The child chair of claim 19, wherein the supporting frame
comprises a plurality of legs, and the coupling section comprises a
plurality of openings, each for coupling with one of the legs.
21. The child chair of claim 20, wherein the coupling section is
located at the bottom of the seat.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a child chair, and more particularly, to a
child chair capable of selectively configuring as a high chair or a
booster.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Child chairs have been widely used for toddlers since they provide
the toddlers roughly the same height as adult care givers such that
the toddlers are easy to be taken care of or fed at the table.
Although various structures embodied, child chairs usually do not
have detachability between the seat and the supporting frame,
leaving space-consuming drawback for themselves to store.
Additionally, for the booster types of child chairs, straps are
essential for securing the boosters at an adult chair. Such straps,
however, do not properly store when unused, which may cause
strangling accident to produce safety issue.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides a child chair that has a supporting frame
detachably assembled to a seat, which incorporates strap storage
function. When the supporting frame is detached from the seat, the
strap may reach out of the seat for securing the seat to an adult
chair and functions as a booster.
The invention provides a child chair that includes a seat, a
supporting frame for detachably coupling with the seat, and a strap
connecting to the seat. The child chair is convertible between a
high chair status in which the supporting frame is coupled to the
seat and a booster status in which the supporting frame is detached
from the seat and the strap secures the seat to an adult chair.
The invention also provides a booster, which is capable of
assembling to a supporting frame to form a high chair. The booster
includes a seat and a strap. The seat has a coupling section and a
storage. The coupling section is capable of detachably coupling
with the supporting frame. The strap connects to the storage and is
stored within the storage.
The invention also provides a child chair that includes a seat, a
supporting frame, and a strap. The seat has a coupling section, a
storage configured near the coupling section, and a movable cover.
The supporting frame is used for detachably coupling with the
coupling section. The strap is connected to the storage. The cover
is moveable between a first position and a second position. When
the cover moves to the first position, the cover covers the storage
and the coupling section exposes for coupling with the supporting
frame and the child chair is configured at a high chair status.
When the cover moves to the second position, the cover covers the
coupling section and the storage exposes and the strap is reachable
outward the storage, and the child chair is configured at a booster
status.
The child chair provided by the invention stores the straps in a
safe way when the child chair is functioning as a high chair, and
misuse of the straps can be prevented with incorporation of the
detachable supporting frame and storage of the straps.
Additionally, the detached supporting frame can be stored aside for
reducing the packing size of the child chair.
These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt
become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading
the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that
is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a child chair configured at a high
chair status according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the child chair configured at a
booster status.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a footrest of the child chair.
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the footrest and a supporting
frame of a first embodiment according to the invention.
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing each components of the child
chair in an exploded view.
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of sectional view of part of the seat
coupling with a front leg of the supporting frame.
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the bottom of the seat of the
first embodiment of the child chair according to the first
embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram that two of the legs are coupled with
the seat in FIG. 7.
FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of two rear legs coupling with the
footrest in a second embodiment of the child chair.
FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of the bottom of a seat according to
the second embodiment.
FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram where the legs are engaged with the
seat in FIG. 10.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a child
chair 1 according to an embodiment of the invention. The child
chair 1 includes a seat 10, a supporting frame 20, and a safety
belt set 17 connecting to the bottom of the seat 10. The safety
belt set 17 is alternatively shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 7. In this
embodiment, the supporting frame 20 includes two front legs 21 and
two rear legs 22, which are detachably mounted to the bottom of the
seat 10 such that the child chair 1 may be selectively configured
at the status shown in FIG. 1 to function as a high chair, or a
booster status shown in FIG. 2 after the supporting frame 20 is
removed from the seat 10. FIG. 2 shows that the seat 10 is removed
from the supporting frame 20 and placed on an adult chair 2. The
safety belt set 17 of the child chair 1 may secure the seat 10 to
the adult chair 2 such that the seat 10 works as a booster.
The child chair 1 in this embodiment further includes a footrest 30
configured at the supporting frame 20. Please refer to FIG. 3 and
FIG. 4. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the footrest 30 and FIG. 4
is a schematic diagram of the footrest 30 and the supporting frame
20 of a first embodiment according to the invention. The footrest
30 includes a pedal body 33 and two through holes 31 locating at
both sides of the pedal body 33. The pedal body 33 has a laterally
oriented mounting section 32, which includes two coupling slots
321. The two front legs 21 are passed through the two through holes
31 of the footrest 30 respectively so as to mount the footrest 30
on the two front legs 21 of the supporting frame 20. In the first
embodiment, both two rear legs 22 have a bending section 221 at the
top end respectively, shown in FIG. 4. As the supporting frame 20
is detached from the seat 10, the two rear legs 22 may each couple
to one of the coupling slots 321 of the mounting section 32 for
storage convenience. The status of coupling between the footrest 30
and the support frame 20 may also be referred to another embodiment
as shown in FIG. 9. Two resilient arms 322 are formed at the walls
of both sides that define each coupling slot 321 and provide
engagement for the rear legs 22. Nevertheless, the footrest 30 may
also be omitted or mounted directly to the seat 10 in other
embodiments of the invention.
Please refer to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram
showing each components of the child chair 1 in an exploded view,
and FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of sectional view of part of the
seat 10 coupled with a front leg 21, whereas the engagement of the
seat 10 and the rear legs 22 is same as shown in FIG. 6 and is
omitted here. Referring to FIG. 5, the seat 10 may be formed by
assembling a body 11 and a base 12. The base 12 has a coupling
section 14 for connecting with the supporting frame 20 and in this
embodiment, the coupling section 14 includes a plurality of
openings 144, whereas the front legs 21 and the rear legs 22 of the
supporting frame 20 may insert their top end into each
corresponding opening 144 such that the supporting frame 20 is
connected to the coupling section 14 at the bottom of the seat 10
in a detachable way and the child chair 1 is configured at the high
chair status as shown in FIG. 1. Since the bending section 221 of
each rear leg 22 tilts in an angle with the rest section of the
rear leg 22, both rear legs 22 has tilting angle relative to the
seat 10 as the bending section 221 of each rear leg 22 connects
with each corresponding opening 144. The rear legs 22 is then
extended outward relative to the seat 10 to provide stronger
support for the seat 10. As the supporting frame 20 is detached
from the coupling section 14 as mentioned previously, the child
chair 1 can be configured as the booster status as shown in FIG.
2.
To detach the supporting frame 20 from the coupling section 14, the
supporting frame 20 may be hollow pipes in this embodiment, and
each leg 21, 22 of the supporting frame 20 includes a fastening
component 23 inside the pipe to secure the legs 21, 22 to the base
12 of the seat 10. Taking the front leg 21 for example, the
fastening component 23 may be a V-shape resilient piece, with a
protrusion 231 at one end of one of its arm 232. A first hole 211
locates at the wall of the pipe of the front leg 21 and a second
hole 141 is formed at the wall that defines the corresponding
opening 144. The arm 232 of the fastening component 23 abuts
against the wall inside the front leg 21, with the protrusion 231
extending through the first hole 211. As the front leg 21 inserts
into the corresponding opening 144 of the coupling section 14, the
stop 143 of the base 12 is against the front leg 21, providing a
supportive node for the front leg 21 to support the seat 10, and
the protrusion 231 of the fastening component 23 further extends
through the second hole 141 of the coupling section 14, hence
securing the front leg 21 to the corresponding opening 144 of the
coupling section 14. As a result, the fastening component 23 may be
used to prevent the front leg 21 (or other legs 21, 22) from
detaching from the corresponding opening 144 of the coupling
section 14.
Moveable operating components 13, which may be buttons in this
embodiment, are further mounted at the body 11 of the seat 10 and
near the second hole 141 of each corresponding opening 144 of the
coupling section 14. Through pressing each operating component 13,
the corresponding protrusion 231 of the fastening component 23 may
be disengaged from the corresponding second hole 141, thereby the
corresponding front leg 21 detached from the corresponding opening
144. In this embodiment, the operating component 13 extends
downwardly to form a resilient arm 131 that can restore the
operating component 13 to its original position.
Though one front leg 21 coupling with corresponding opening 144 is
used as disclosure in the previous paragraphs, the other front leg
21 and the rear legs 22 coupling with each corresponding opening
144 (and the way of detaching) has same mechanism and is omitted
herein for brevity purpose.
In other embodiments of the invention, the base 12 may be a
monolithic part of the body 11, instead of an individual component,
while the front legs 21 and the rear legs 22 may have spiral top
ends such that the legs 21, 22 may be screwed into corresponding
spiral coupling section 14 to secure the supporting frame 20 to the
bottom of the seat 10.
Please keep referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 7, where FIG. 7 is a
schematic diagram showing the bottom of the seat 10 of the first
embodiment of the child chair 1. The base 12 of the seat 10 further
includes storages 121 for storing the safety belt set 17. The
safety belt set 17 includes a first belt set 171 and a second belt
set 172, each including two straps and configured at the sides of
the base 12. Please refer to FIG. 2 together. The two straps of the
first belt set 171 couple to each other under the adult chair 2,
and the two straps of the second belt set 172 couple to each at the
back of the adult chair 2 such that the seat 10 can be secured to
the adult chair 2. Each strap of the safety belt set 17 connects to
the wall of each storage 121. The seat 10 further includes a
plurality of covers 151, 152, 161, 162 that are moveably connected
to the bottom of the base 12 and each corresponds to one storage
121 and the opening 144 of the seat 10. The covers 151, 152, 161,
162 are moveable between an opening position and a closed position
relative to the base 12 of the seat 10.
To such descriptive purpose, the covers 151, 161 in FIG. 7 are
illustrated in the opened position while the covers 152, 162 are
illustrated in the closed position. Practically, as the covers 151,
152, 161, 162 are configured in the closed position, each strap of
the safety belt set 17 is stored in each corresponding storage 121
and each opening 144 adjacent to the storage 121 is exposed such
that the front legs 21 and the rear legs 22 of the supporting frame
20 may respectively couple with the corresponding opening 144 of
the coupling section 14. The seat 10 that incorporates with the
supporting frame 20 may serve as a high chair. FIG. 8 shows a
schematic diagram that two of the legs 21, 22 are coupled with the
seat 10. At such configuration, the safety belt set 17 is unused
and is stored within the storages 121 of the seat 10 with the
covers 152, 162 covering over the storages 121, not only saving
room but also preventing possible risk caused by the exposed strap.
If the supporting frame 20 is detached from the seat 10, the covers
151, 152, 161, 162 may respectively be configured to the opened
position and cover each corresponding opening 144 of the coupling
section 14. At such configuration, the supporting frame 20 is not
permitted to be mounted to each corresponding opening 144 and each
strap of the safety belt set 17 may reach outward from
corresponding storage 121. The seat 10 may be placed on the adult
chair 2 and secured thereon via buckling of the straps with each
other (the buckles of the safety belt set 17 are not shown in the
figure). Therefore, the child chair 1 disclosed in this embodiment
has design of incorporating the detachability of the supporting
frame 20 and storage of the safety belt set 17, assuring the child
chair 1 to be used as a high chair only when the safety belt set 17
is completely stored before the supporting frame 20 can be
assembled. The safety belt set 17 may be exposed and reach outward
only after the supporting frame 20 is detached from the seat 10 and
the covers 151, 152, 161, 162 move to uncover the storages 121.
Please refer to FIG. 9 to FIG. 11 for a second embodiment of the
child chair of the invention. FIG. 9 shows a schematic diagram of
the two rear legs 42 coupling with the footrest 30, FIG. 10 shows a
schematic diagram of the bottom of a seat 10', and FIG. 11 shows a
schematic diagram where the legs 21, 42 have engagement with the
seat 10'. In the second embodiment, each rear leg 42 has a lump 421
at the top end and the opening 144 of the coupling section 14 that
corresponds to the rear leg 42 forms a groove 142 with shape
matching the lump 421. When the rear leg 42 is coupled with the
corresponding opening 144 of the coupling section 14, the lump 421
fits into the groove 142 such that the rear leg 42 may be coupled
with the opening 144 of the coupling section 14 in a tilting angle,
having similar effect as the rear leg 22 in the first embodiment.
The rear legs 42 then extend outward relative to the seat 10',
providing stronger support for the seat 10'. Additionally, the
lump-and-groove cooperation may also be deployed at the front legs
21. The configuration and mechanism of the covers 153, 163 are same
as the covers 151, 152, 161, 162 in the first embodiment, the
coupling and operation between the legs 21, 42 and the seat 10',
and the design of the straps of the seat 10' are also same as those
in the first embodiment, so the description is omitted here for
brevity purpose.
The child chair disclosed in the invention has detachable
supporting frame. When the supporting frame is assembled to the
seat, the child chair is used as a high chair. When the supporting
frame is detached from the seat, the child chair may be served as a
booster by placing and securing to an adult chair. The seat
includes storages with straps connected. Each storage is covered
with a cover selectively configured between a closed position and
an opened position. When the supporting frame is detached from the
seat, the covers may be moved to the opened position, covering the
coupling sections of the seat so that the supporting frame is not
permitted to assemble to the seat; the straps are reachable outward
the storages to secure the seat to the adult chair. When the straps
are stored in the storages, the covers may be moved to the closed
position, covering the storages and the coupling sections are
exposed. The supporting frame is then permitted to assemble to the
seat and the child chair may function as the high chair.
Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous
modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made
while retaining the teachings of the invention.
* * * * *